Abstract: A prepared food heating and holding cabinet is provided with an improved touch control switch and digital display assembly. The touch control and display assembly replacing the prior art display which has a membrane switch technology prone to early environmental and thermal failure. The touch control and digital display of the disclosed invention assembly having sealed PC board mounted switches mounted behind a rigid metallic front panel substrate. The front panel having a graphically imprinted polyester overlay which can tolerate relatively harsh temperature environments such as found on a heated food holding cabinet. The polyester overlay providing environmental isolation of the electronics and switches from the oil, grease and steam laden food service environment. The sealed switches providing even further isolation and protection of the electrical switch contacts from the harsh environment.

Abstract: A standard pattern comparing system recognizes a data by comparing the data with a standard pattern registered in a dictionary, a plurality of kinds of data being supplied to the standard pattern comparing system. The standard pattern comparing system has a plurality of dictionaries including a plurality of normal dictionaries and one master dictionary. All standard patterns stored in each normal dictionary and some of the standard patterns stored in the master dictionary corresponding to one kind of data. There being no duplicate standard pattern included in more than two dictionaries, and each standard pattern included in the master dictionary being commonly used for at least more than two normal dictionaries to correspond to an arbitrary kind of data. The present invention is especially useful for a voice recognition system in which a speaker dependent voice recognizer is used for a personal computer which manages a plurality of application programs.